


Sweet Talk

by KadynT



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-06-06 12:38:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6754105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KadynT/pseuds/KadynT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill Cipher is back and ready for dimension domination! He can't achieve this task alone, though! He needs help from his demonic buddies and of course - you! You're the key pawn-- I mean, team player! So let's set something on fire and make a DEAL!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My Nizzle

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I haven't written something of this caliber in almost four years, so I hope you enjoy my garbage. I adore writting about Bill Cipher, and I hope you like him as much as I do, because you're gonna get a lot of him in this first chapter and more down the road.

"So... Close..." 

A voice echoes hungrily in a deep, void of darkness. The only visible sight in this endless nightmare is a blinding column of light. The brilliant glow radiates downwards from only God knows where. The owner of the voice pants heavily, their body inching closer and closer towards the radiant display. Bottled up tears finally break forth and flow outwards into the void. The salty droplets float in the air as if someone put a rainstorm on pause. A hand fiercely swats at the tears, the voice dripping with disgust. 

"Curse this void, inducing me to do something so pitifully revolting." 

Now, only a step away from the beam of light, the wary traveler comes to a stop. They observe the column with an intense  hunger, a hunger for revenge. The feeling burns excruciatingly in their chest, a shallow breath escaping them. They grab at their chest and limp forward into the warm light. As they begin to slowly ascend into the air, a crazed laugh ripples throughout the darkness. On arrival at the very top of the beam, the void traveler disappears in the blink of an eye. Now with no purpose, the column of light bursts into an explosion and slices through the void like a knife. 

"Sweet Sally!" Stan Pines grabs at his head in pain, alerting his twin brother, Stanford Pines. 

"Stanley? What's wrong?" Ford tears his attention away from a tablet and hurries to Stan's side. 

"Who knows! I just got a random headache out of nowhere!" Stan hisses. "Damn. The rocking of this boat ain't helping either." 

"Oh, here." Ford quickly rummages through a cabinet and produces a small, medicine bottle. "Take one and settle down for a bit. It should help in approximately ten minutes." 

"Alright. Thanks, bro." 

Stan swallows one of the tiny tablets and gladly settles down into a booth seat. His  brother casts him a questioning gaze for a moment, but soon returns to the blinking radar on his tablet. If they were going to find that strange anomaly soon, he needs to focus. 

While the twin brothers explore Arctic waters, a dream demon is tossed back into his old home, the Nightmare realm. The demon's one eye flashes open at the sudden silence, his breathing raw. He quickly looks down at his yellow, triangular body, expecting the worst. 

"Oh, good." he pants, relief washing over him. "All in one piece." 

He then glances around at his surroundings to see that he's floating in a bright, red void with random swirls of color. He groans at the familiar sight, his small hands resting on his sides. He's once again trapped in the drab Nightmare realm. Bummer. 

"Aaay, look who it beee." 

A deep voice rumbles threateningly from behind the demon. His eye narrows in annoyance at the creature's mocking tone. 

"Yes, look who it is." the demon coolly turns to face the creature. "A fool who can't speak proper English - Mr. Fo Shizzle himself!" 

The massive, reptilian creature scowls at the word "fool," but gets stumped on his new nickname. Once he senses the demon's teasing aura, he swiftly shakes away the puzzled look on all three of his faces. 

"Bill Cipher," the monster replies in his native langue. "You must be insane, talking as if you're perfectly capable of belittling me. You currently look as weak as a human's writing utensil." 

"Oh nooo!" Bill dramatically puts a hand to his pointed head. "Whatever shall I do?! You called me a pencil!" He suddenly laughs wildly, aggravating the three headed reptile even further. "That's so scandalous, Fo' Shizzle. Shame on you." 

"Bill!" the creature growls deeply, his voice ragged with rage. "You're a wretched weakling, so now it's my time to rise and for you to _DIE!_ " 

The reptile sprints towards Bill, his three heads screeching and bearing their jagged teeth. Bill smoothly teleports out of the way at the last second, just for the heck of it. He lets out another string of boisterous laughter as the reptile skids to a stop. 

"Man, you're hilarious, pal!" the demon glows brightly with excitement. "First you try to impress me with your broken English, and now we're training together? Good stuff!"  

The monster tunes out Cipher's nagging words and races towards him for another try. However, this time, he's quicker. He reaches the demonic triangle in an instant with a ferocious roar. Bill's eye widens in shock, his pointer finger ready to release a blinding beam. The reptile beats him to the punch and slashes through his triangular body with needle-like claws. The dream demon's body dissipates into millions of tiny particles, his cry of pain still echoing throughout the void. 

"FINALLY!" the monster's three heads let out an ear-deafening cackle, their eyes eagerly watching as yellow residue disappears deeper into the void. "I've finally risen to the top! The Nightmare Realm is  _MINE!_ Mine to rule!" 

"Whooa, not so fast, slick." 

The taunting voice freezes the reptile's muscles stiff, it's three mouths slack-jawed. The dream demon soon appears in a flash of light, his small fingers straightening his black bowtie. 

"Our little get together has been fun, buddy!" he begins, his hands clasped together in delight. "But I have bigger meat sacks to fry, so my clone and I have to say farewell for now. Oh, and just for kicks," he lifts his index finger at the dumbfounded reptile. "BOOM!" 

A beam of energy blasts from his finger and rips through the monster's chest. The creature combusts into oblivion, sending out a powerful shockwave. Bill laughs and gentlemanly tips his slim hat.  

"Man, it is good to be back!" 


	2. Pink Pansy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you know of this already, but "[F/N]" means your first name.

With word of Bill Cipher's return spreading like wild fire, he makes his way to a somewhat safer area of the Nightmare realm. Although, in this realm, you either kill or be killed. 

On the path to his destination, the dream demon tries to avoid as many fights as possible. He wasn't at his full potential when he first arrived in the Nightmare realm, and now the constant battles are wearing him thin even more. Not only is this weakened state difficult for him to accept, creatures are now underestimating him. This degrading act drives him absolutely mad, and this means extreme suffering for anyone who crosses his path. 

" _BURN!_ " 

Bill's voice is uncharacteristically deep and distorted as he unleashes a wave of blistering fire. His hoofed opponent attempts to escape with a howl, but is quickly consumed and incinerated to ash. 

"Ignorant donkey," Bill scoffs and adjusts his hat, his voice fading back to it's original tone.

That confrontation out of the way, he finally reaches his stop. This region of the Nightmare realm is usually devoid of insolent creatures that grate on his nerves. The reason for this is only because he used to reside in a nearby pyramid. Most monsters wouldn't dare visit, unless they wanted to face Bill's unrelenting wrath. Sadly, his floating castle has more than likely disassembled over the past several months. This realm can really wear down a structure fast with it's acidic atmoshpere and constant brawls. 

After checking the surrounding area for threats - and for the first time since he's arrived - he acutally has time for a breather. He uses this chance to truly affirm the situation of his omnipotence. To his dismay, his energy is much weaker than he assumed. Even though his power can only grow from here, he'll never make any progress while being constantly badgered. 

"Damn those useless flesh puppets!" 

He snaps his fingers with a growl, instructing his hat to enlarge in size. He then proceeds to pull the hat over his eye and shout profanities. These profanities are in his native tongue, which is even more vulgar. Once his triangular tantrum is over, the top hat is snapped back to it's original size and resting place. He would stay in the calming confines of his hat for a bit longer, but he needs a plan. Quick. 

"Alright, alright, I can fix this." he fiddles with his bowtie in thought, his eye narrowed sharply. "I can't stay here like I originally wanted, that's for certain..."

After concocting a seemingly foolproof plan, he creates a whirling vortex with the snap of his fingers. He swiftly enters the pitch-black portal with a laugh. 

"Time to leave these suckers behind!" 

The dream demon teleports at the speed of light. He stretches his hands out in front of him, brash laughter filling the portal. A simple creature can't experience the true thrill of teleporting, but Bill can. He revels in it. 

His joyride comes to an end when he abruptly pops out the other end of the portal. One last chuckle escapes him as he jerks to a halt, his triangular body aglow with pure zeal. 

"Ah, the colorful mindscape!" he announces sarcastically, his eye studying the gray landscape. "I didn't miss you at all. So mundane." 

The dream demon is currently hovering above the ground in a dense forest of gray pine-trees. Nothing in this forest interests him in the slightest, but a certain place ahead of him does. He rubs his tiny hands together in excitement.   

"Let's get started!"

He zips through the forest, dogging each tree he comes to with ease. When he flys upon a clearing, he slides across the air to a stop. His one eye takes in the view of a two-story brick house. Massive, white columns adorn it's large front porch. The porch steps are decorated with hefty pots of gray flowers, which would be vivid with color outside the mindscape. 

"Man, do I pick 'em or what?" Bill states smugly, his triangular form gliding towards the porch. He pauses momentarily to pluck a flower from one of the pots. He lightly twirls the stem between his fingers before placing the dainty plant in the brim of his hat. 

He teleports inside the house to see a spacious living room with a high ceiling. Hanging from the center of the ceiling is a grand, chandelier of lights. The cherry-wood flooring is furnished with an ornate rug and detailed, antique furniture. 

Bill - being a dream demon with good taste - chuckles in approval at the display around him. "I could definitely get used to this." 

Once he has completed the task of admiring the first floor, he floats upwards through the ceiling to the second floor. He arrives in a small, cozy bedroom and turns to face the bed in the center of the room. 

"Well, well, well," the demon hovers above the bed, his eye focused on a lump in the floral printed covers. "Here's the star of our show!" 

He snaps his fingers to bring forth a black cane. He snatches up the floating staff and gives the mound a firm poke. The heap stirs slightly, a soft sigh emitting from it. Not pleased with these results, Bill raises the cane high above his head. As he swings downwards, the lump rises to a sitting position. The staff whacks the top of your head with a cringeworthy  _crack._ Your hands instantly rush to cover your newly formed knot. A throaty groan escapes you, your head pulsing with pain. The sound of a chuckle pushes you to finally look at your visitor. 

At the sight of Bill, all you can do is stare with wide, watery eyes. 

"Hey, kid! Wow, you're a funny little thing, aren't you?" 

You continue to gawk at him in confusion, soon spotting the gray color scheme of your room. 

"I'd apologize for that bump on your head, but it's too hilarious!" He let's out a chipper laugh, his fingers smoothly spinning the cane in his hand. 

Your body flinches, the sudden laughter scaring the bejesus out of you. The dream demon only laughs harder at this. You whimper and slowly try to scoot backwards. To your misfortune, you don't go very far before your back hits the headboard. You could've sworn that you had just woken up from a nap, but this  _has_  to be a dream. 

"Your reactions are so cute!" he gravitates closer, his eye beaming with amusement. You instinctively lift your hands in defense, questioning the word "cute" in your mind. 

"Yes! Cute!" he replies to your inquiry, baffling you even further. "Your existence in general is cute to someone like me." 

You tightly squeeze your eyes closed, the pain in your head becoming worse by the second. Countless thoughts race through your brain, one sticking out in particular. 

_Am I dying?_    

"Ahaha! Of course not!" he taps into your mind for the second time. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know. Just relax, kid!" 

Without a clue of what to do, you reluctantly decide to just comply with him. You timidly lower your arms and release the breath you had been holding in. You also try to look the creature in the eye, but that's deemed futile. 

"There we go!" Bill exclaims, examining your uncovered face. "Since we're nice and calm now..." he lifts his top hat to reveal a tiny pansy floating underneath. "For you!" 

He extends the flower towards you, a dumbfounded expression crossing your face. You hesitantly take the flower, observing that it looks extremely similar to one your mother planted. 

"...Um," you swallow hard, your nerves a jumbled mess. "Thank you." 

You physically cringe at the sound of your own voice, your skin an embarrassing shade of red. Your tone sounds as if it should belong to a mouse. If only there was a hole you could crawl into and never return from. 

"Oh-hoho! I like you." Bill gives your blushing cheek a light poke, his arm abnormally longer. "You make the best expressions!"

You shudder at the touch of his finger. His presence feels immensely intimidating, which is strange since he's a triangle wearing a top hat.  

"Who are you?" you manage to squeak nervously, your eyes glued to the flower in your hand. 

"I thought you'd never ask! I'm your new pal, Bill Cipher! Oh, and I already know your name, [F/N], but I think I'll just call you freckles." 

"F-freckles?"

"Yeah, you have freckles right there on your schnoz." 

"Oh, yeah, sorry," you place your free hand over your eyes, your brow narrowed sharply. "I can't think straight." 

You feel as if you're about to go crazy any second. You don't understand why any of this is happening, every piece of furniture and trinket in your room is gray, and now you've just apologized to a yellow triangle. Where has your sweet sanity gone?

"Why are you apologizing? Abnormal thinking is fun!" 

When you uncover your eyes, you're met with the sight of a small Bill lounging on your gifted pansy. You let out a startled "Eep!" and toss the flower away from you. The demon laughs loudly and returns to his original size. 

"You really know how to entertain a guest, freckles!" 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying Bill so far! I tried to keep him in character as much as possible, so hopefully he's meeting your standards.


	3. A Sucker for Multiple Arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had three chapters typed up before I began posting, so I'll have the fourth one up by Friday!

 

You stand next to your bed, your body as stiff as a wooden board. You grow increasingly uncomfortable as Bill Cipher continues to gaze at you in silence. You're currently in this position because he asked if you could "rise" for him, but you took it more as a command. 

"...What is it?" you ask gently, finally gaining a small amount of courage. 

The demon appears to perk up at the sound of your voice.

"I'm trying to learn more about you," he says.

You throw him a puzzled look, and you're sure that won't be the last. Other than him learning about you, you'd rather learn more about him. What is his purpose for being here? Is he the reason your room is gray? Are you hallucinating? You decide to begin with a more simple question. 

"Did... Did you really hit me on the head a while ago?"  

You say this carefully, your hand groping for the huge knot on the top of your head. You're pretty certain he's guilty, though it happened in such a blur you don't know what to believe. Then again, he could easily lie to you. 

Bill holds back a laugh at your question. He wants to seem as exemplary as possible, but that's difficult to do when he's dealing with someone so innocent. He'd much rather spend his time teasing and scaring you with continuous laughter. 

"Whoops, ya got me! It was an accident, though. I was only trying to wake you." 

Your eye twitches when you locate the bump, a wave of pain flowing through it. 

"Oh, alright..." 

You simply leave it at that, not wanting to step into any dangerous territory. 

"You don't talk very much, do you?" he questions, a knowing tone in his voice. 

You gulp anxiously and hold your hands against your chest. Something about him doesn't sit well with you. It seems as if he can know everything about you with one glance.

"You may not talk a lot," he moves closer when you remain silent, laughter in his voice, "but you're constantly thinking, so I'm a little disappointed, [F/N], that you think I would lie to you." 

Your eyes grow wide with horror. Your bones are replaced with jelly, and your heart drops to the pit of your stomach. You should've thought his bowtie was cute instead.

"I-I," you sputter frantically, "I mean, I don't-"

You're interrupted by soft chuckling then full blown laughter. All you can do is stare, your mouth frozen in an "o" shape. The dream demon ultimately settles down and gives the tip of your nose a light flick. You go to cover it with a gasp. 

"Oh, freckles. I'm only teasing!" his eye peers at you happily, his voice exceptionally bubbly. "I don't care about what you think of me, but what I do care about, is making your little, human dreams come true!" 

He waves his hand through the air to add emphasis, an arch of golden sparkles trailing behind it. You watch the gleaming glitter in awe as it falls around you like a rainstorm. Some of the golden substance enters your nose, however, causing you to sneeze loudly.  You look away and try to recover with a nonchalant sniffle. 

"My dreams? How is that possible?" you ask.

"I'm a dream creature, that's how! Though, unfortunately," his tone deepens with a sigh. "I've been injured and I'm still not well enough to perform some of the bigger desires you might have." 

He struggles to mask the pure hatred in his voice. The mere thought of a certain group of people enrages him to the point of oblivion. He could destroy an entire dimension at the drop of a hat, if only. 

"I'm sorry..." you awkwardly fiddle with the hem of your shirt, your voice strained. "What happened to you?" 

That may have been your worst attempt at sounding sincere yet, but you do feel a bit of sympathy towards him. That feeling may be a direct result of your good-natured personality, or your rationality is just deteriorating beyond repair.  

Bill remains strangely quiet, his strong gaze fixed behind you. You soon realize that you may have just hit a raw nerve. As if confirming your suspicion, his bright, yellow hue fades to a faint red. You hurriedly open your mouth to apologize, your throat growing tight. Words aren't forming, and even if they did, you wouldn't be able to say them. 

The dream demon promptly snaps out of his gaze to behold your internal train wreck. He's faintly disgusted with the feeling of sympathy he's sensing from you, but he still finds himself chuckling. 

"Cool it, freckles. I don't want your pity." 

You shut your mouth at this. That sentence didn't sound completely harsh coming from him, surprisingly. 

"Look," he continues with a hand on his side, his other thumb pointed at himself, "I have monstrous power that drives creatures delirious with envy. Everyone constantly wants to be the top dog, the boss man, so they like to come after me. This means I'm forced into, say, hostile exchanges." 

Before you can nod your head to show understanding, you're yanked into the air without warning. You release a panicked yelp and soon come eye to eye with Bill. He studies your apprehensive expression with a furrowed brow, then lightly taps his knuckles against your forehead. 

"Is that brain of yours absorbing all of this?"

"Y-Yes, sir." you reply, your heart beating wildly. 

"Good!" he pulls at your cheek with a hard pinch. "I knew I picked a smart one."

"Ow, ow," you hiss in pain as he releases your cheek, giving you a chance to rub away the burning ache. "Geez Louise." 

"What? What do you have against this Louise?" he asks sincerely, his one eye beaming with excitement. "I could obliterate them if you so desire!" 

"Wait, no!" you quickly shake your head, afraid for the life of every living Louise. "That's just a saying." 

"Huh, well that's disappointing... Anyway! If you nurse me back to my full potential, I'll give you anything you want in return."

Your eyes flutter in disbelief. This so called "dream creature" would give you anything? You really want to believe him, considering the amount of wonderful possibilities you could request. Yet, that means you're definitely dreaming. That offer is too good to be true. 

"Well..." you twiddle your thumbs, carefully planning what to say next. "That's a very tempting offer, but I don't know how I could help you." 

"Don't worry about that! All you have to do, is just let me hang around with you for a while until I feel like my old self again." 

"Hang around with me?" you say this aloud to yourself, wondering what that means, exactly. 

Bill softens his voice, the pupil of his eye rounder and shimmering with fake innocence. "Yeah! You're my little buddy now, aren't you?" 

He has to refrain from gagging at the forced affection in his voice. The task of acting as sweet as a human's pastry has been consistently difficult for him. He's usually a trooper when it comes to acquiring a deal, though. 

Bill asking if you're his "little buddy" renders you speechless for a moment. You have so many unanswered questions, but what's the point in asking? All of this has to be a dream, a very vivid one, but a dream nonetheless. You want this abnormal delusion to end more than anything, so what else can you do but play along? 

"...Alright. I'll help you, erm, Bill." 

"Ahaha! Fantastic!" he eagerly rubs his hands together, his voice enriched with a powerful echo. "It seems we have a  _DEAL!_ " 

Your eyes fall to his extended hand. A blue flame whips to life and engulfs it entirely. Your eyes dart to his one, a spark of fear in them. You didn't consider that you would have to shake a burning hand. 

"Don't worry! My flame won't harm you." he reassures you, the echo in his voice no longer present. 

You exhale shakily and hesitantly lift your hand. Your heart pounds painfully in your chest, beads of sweat beginning to appear on your forehead. His reassurance didn't help you in the least bit. 

_It's okay! It's just a dream! Just a dream!_

You desperately repeat those words over and over again in your mind. You immediately feel nauseous, your gaze locked on his hand. The blue flame dances back and forth, beckoning you to touch it. When your hand drifts closer, a prickling sensation crawls underneath your skin. 

_Oh God._

You grab his hand with a tight squeeze, your own hand trembling fiercely. Bill casually shakes your hand with a chuckle. 

"See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" 

He pulls his hand away and extinguishes the flame. You quickly glance to your hand to see if the fire had left any markings. When your skin appears clear of abrasions, you look back to the dream creature. 

"Um, that's it?" you ask. 

"That's it, freckles!" 

"But wha- Ah!" 

You shriek when your body flinches with sudden movement. Your eyes flit downwards to see your feet making contact with the ground again. Your legs wobble from lack of use, but you regain your balance pretty quickly. You lift your head just in time to see a third arm retract into Bill's side. You frown, perplexed. 

"Yes, I can grow multiple arms for mutiple times the fun! Impressed?" he states coolly, before you can even question the extra appendage yourself. 

"S-Sure!" you force a nervous smile across your face, your voice overly chipper. 

You wonder how on earth you didn't notice an extra hand grabbing you by the collar. 

"Well, that wasn't believable at all, but I'll let it slide! Hey, where are you going?" 

The dream demon peeks over your shoulder as you push all of your weight against the bedroom door. You whimper when the door doesn't budge and frantically turn the knob for another go. Even though you went a long with his absurd antics, you're still trapped in a monotone nightmare. You know he can read your mind and you know he isn't stupid, but you conjure up a quick excuse anyway. 

"I'm just, uh, checking to see if this door is working properly!" you give the door a few, firm knocks then whip around to face the triangle. "Didja hear that?! That's some sturdy wood right there! Haha...!" 

Silence. The only noise that can be heard is your uneven breathing. Bill's eye is blown wide and his tiny hands are frozen at his sides. Your crazed grin vanishes with a hard gulp. 

"...Oh no," Bill wheezes with laughter, "That's too good!" 

He cackles loudly and grabs at his center, his feet swinging back and forth. You cower closer to the door and wring your hands anxiously. His laugh stills scares you half to death. 

"Wheew, anyway!" he wipes away a tear of mirth, still chuckling. "I'd  _LOVE_  to watch you go bonkers even more, but I have to leave for now, little [F/N]. I hope you miss me  _unbearably_  while I'm gone!" 

Bill instantly disappears in a blinding flash of light with the tip of his hat. 

You jolt awake in bed, ragged breaths escaping your gaping mouth. You place a hand to your forehead, your eyes boring into your now pigmented ceiling. Relief slowly kicks in and the unbearable knots in your stomach unravel. After you've calmed down a little, you sluggishly rise to a sitting position. 

"...Whoa," you shake your head, attempting to clear your thoughts. "Geometry class is really getting to me." 

You brush away strands of loose hair that had fallen into your face, your fingers pausing on the top of your head. You sit, paralyzed, as a familiar pain pulses through your scalp. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Bill's mouth is his eye, I had the urge to write "He has to refrain from gagging on his eyeball..." but I never did. That's some strange imagery, though.


	4. Butter Me Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write! Hope you enjoy!

Bill silently resides in the mindscape for the remainder of the week. He came to the conclusion that it would be entertaining to lure you back into your comfort zone, to compel you to believe that your deal with him was, without a doubt, a dream. This will all change soon, however. He'll once again be able to see that dumb pout on your face and the shock in your eyes when he invades your dreams tonight. 

Speaking of the deal, you're an unexpectedly  complex pawn. Many of his past deals were very easily attained, his victims being so incredibly greedy that they hardly stopped to think and question his existence. You, on the other hand, were constantly speculating and a timid bundle of fidgeting nerves. After what felt like an eternity, and he knows what an eternity feels like, you were finally unhinged and ready to shake his hand. He could've easily chosen a downright imbecile from Gravity Falls, but he has to spend a lot of time with his chosen puppet, so he picked a brighter and more gentle human. 

Interestingly enough, the dream demon first thought you to be a huge pushover, but now he isn't so sure. The more he learns from your memories and present thoughts, the more he can sense a strong-will in you. He doesn't know where this feeling is coming from, exactly, and he doesn't care to know. What's most important, is fulfilling his extreme hunger for dimension liberation and reuniting with his good ol' friend named vengeance.

That insufferable Pines family tarnished his image, reputation, and crashed his sublime party scene. Not only did they partake in these heinous acts, they "erased" him to a dark wasteland of pure nothingness. Bill was already believed to be insane, but if he had to spend a few more months in that godawful place, he probably could've upped his insanity a couple more degrees. 

It's currently 11:30 at night. Bill is floating aimlessly when he detects a ripple in the mindscape. He abandons his thoughts with a snicker and lifts his hands into the air. 

"Come on in, freckles." 

Your eyes snap open. You're met with the sight of vibrant, green leaves against a pale, blue sky. You breath in the crisp, fresh air, a subtle hint of sweetness from exotic plants entwined in the breeze. You slide your hands about the ground, soft blades of grass tickling your fingers. You sit up now and let your eyes absorb the scenery around you. 

You're sitting on the bank of a sparkling creek. The water is clear, calm, and emits an inviting vibe. Large, towering trees line it's winding edge to form a thick canopy. The sun trickles down through the leaves and branches to create glowing rays of light. You gradually rise to your bare feet and find yourself moving closer towards the water's edge. Your reflection appears on the still surface, your brow narrowed in confusion. 

You're wearing a flowing, white dress that you've never owned, but looks oddly familiar. The garment is fitted at the waist with no sleeves, and the hem stops just above your knees. Your eyes wonder up from your reflection and spot a dirt path on the other side of the creek. You get a strange urge to see where it leads. 

_I'm definitely dreaming again._

You carefully wade into the water, thankful that it's temperature isn't unbearably cold. 

_But the last time I had such a vivid dream was when..._

You pause, your thought frightening you. You anxiously glance over your shoulder, a chill crawling up your spine. You shudder and cautiously continue across the creek. You lift the hem of your dress at it's deepest point and gingerly advance across the smooth stones resting on the bottom. 

Soon you reach the stone-covered bank and gladly exit the cool water. You study your surroundings for a moment before making your way over to the beginning of the dirt trail. You would usually feel wary of traveling alone through the woods, yet this forest gives you a very peaceful and acquainted  feeling. With newfound curiosity, you commence your journey down the beaten path. 

You leisurely stroll through the thick forest. You admire the various trees and plants, not giving much thought to the fact that you're dreaming. You do consider, however, the nagging feeling that you've been here once before. Lost in your thoughts, you almost fail to notice the abnormally large, hydrangea bushes blocking your path. Your content expression clouds over, your eyes sizing up the huge plants. They loom over you, their bright, blue blossoms fluttering in the wind. You assume the trail could possibly continue behind them, so you begin to gently push your way through the bushes. 

You trudge through about four of them until a thick vine prevents you from moving forward. You grab the vine and give it a light tug, noting that if feels pretty sturdy. You shrug your shoulders and simply lift the vine to go underneath it. After you maneuver under the vine and straighten up, something snakes around your ankle and pulls with all it's might. 

You fall out of the bushes with a startled yelp. You land flat on your stomach and wince when your chin slams against the hard ground. You grunt and roll over onto your back with a hiss of pain. You then prop yourself up on your elbows and spot a thick vine tightly wrapped around your ankle. You inhale sharply and frantically try to pull your foot away from it's clutches. The vine only tightens at your movement, rendering your foot numb. You truly begin to panic now. 

"No! Let go!" you cry and wildly kick your foot, hoping to injure the plant somehow. 

"Oh man, you're a riot!" a voice exclaims behind your back. 

You stop flailing and turn to see the dream demon standing at your side. You gasp and scurry away from him as far as the vine will allow. Bill strides over to your foot with a laugh and squats down. 

"It's nice to see you again, too, freckles." He grabs the vine and easily rips it apart, finally freeing your foot from it's firm grasp. 

You quickly rise to your feet and sway to one side, your foot still half-asleep. You scrunch up your toes to bring some feeling into them, then reluctantly lift your head to glance at the triangle. You want to thank him for his help, but you can't get the words to leave your mouth. He was very intimidating the first time you met him, even though his form was small in stature, but now he's casually walking around at possibly 6 feet tall. 

"Well I've just got a shy, little human on my hands, don't I?" Bill tosses the remains of the vine aside and takes a seat on a nearby stump. "That's okay, though! I always know what you're thinking, so you're welcome." 

Your cheeks turn a bright red at his statement. You know you're shy, you always have been, but hearing someone say it embarrasses you for an unknown reason. 

You clear your throat and stiffly brush away a patch of dirt from your dress. "S-So, why did that vine attack me?" 

"What?!" Bill slaps a hand to his pointed head and glows with laughter. "You thought that vine was out to get you? Freckles, that poor vine was the victim, here. You stepped all over it and got your silly, human foot caught up in it." 

Your face grows even more crimson. You were trying to fight off a harmless vine? Once again, a yellow triangle has driven you to embarrassment for acting like a fool. 

"Aw, cheer up, [F/N]! Your dense actions are charming! Trust me. It's funny, though. I bring one of your worlds to life for you, being the kind creature that I am, and you still manage to freak out about something." 

"Wait," you unconsciously take a step closer, that feeling of familiarity rearing it's head again. "One of my worlds? What do you mean?" 

"You imagined this place and your dress, of course. I didn't create them, I'm only projecting them from your memories." he hops to his feet and gestures to the quiet alcove that surrounds you. "It's pretty realistic, but it has it's perks." 

"Does... Does this mean I imagined you also, at one point?" you ask, confused as to how you could've possibly imagined something like him. 

"Hah! Not a chance! I'm a real being, freckles. I may be a projection here, but every bit of me is physically real in my realm."  

You give him a blank stare, dumbfounded. Your heart races at the thought of multiple realms which could house multiple creatures similar to him. You also begin to ponder as to why he picked you of all people to help him. 

"Then what you said was true?" you direct your attention back to him, a frown of disbelief on your face. "You were injured and now I have to help you? Also, why did you choose me? How do you know about me?" 

Bill lifts his hands in defense at the barrage of questions you throw his way. "Whoa, I appreciate your talkative side, but one question at a time, please." you only nod in reply, so he continues with a hand on his side. "To answer your first question, yes, everything I said was true! Secondly, does the subject of why I chose you really matter? I only know about you because I have many eyes in many places." 

"You mean you knew I was here the whole time? And you could see what I was doing?" 

With this knew knowledge, you're not surprised that you kept experiencing cold chills creeping up your spine. He's been watching you this whole time. 

"Well, I actually haven't been watching you while you've been here. I decided to take a break from that, but I can still sense where you are." he admits. 

"Oh," you slowly lower yourself to the soft grass, your muscles growing fatigued. "How can you sense me?" 

"I just can." He shrugs and produces a black cane to lean on. "Your presence is extremely sweet and warm, which is nauseating and not difficult to miss." 

His wording makes you feel as if you need to apologize for being "nauseating," but you refrain and take that as a compliment instead. 

You're afraid of the answer to your next question, however, you want to know and need to know how much more you'll have to endure with this dream creature. 

"So," you begin slowly, a slight quiver in your voice, "How long will you have to stay here until you're cured?" 

Bill immediately laughs loudly. You restlessly dig your fingers into the grass with an attempt to swallow, your mouth going bone-dry. He eventually calms down and locks his gaze with yours. 

"Let's just say we have a long road ahead of us." 


	5. A Pain in the Stomach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking so long to post this! Enjoy!

 

"Oh no," you nervously eye your new surroundings, your expression a worried grimace, "not again." 

 You're currently standing at the bottom of a deep, body of water. When you first awoke here, you nearly dove into cardiac arrest. You held your breath in fear of drowning, and attempted to swim to the surface, but you couldn't. The only thing you could do was frantically jump up and down. Your lungs soon ran out of air and began to burn fiercely. You eventually couldn't take the pain anymore and finally inhaled. To your surprise, you took in air. You could breathe underwater. 

 Now that you're calm, you've realized you're just in another world that's being projected by Bill. This is the fourth time he's done this to you, and per usual, he's nowhere to be found. You wish he would've told you that you can't drown here, instead of letting you suffer. You assume he's hiding somewhere and laughing his little bow tie off about your frightened performance. 

 "...Bill?" you call out meekly, large air-bubbles rising from your mouth. 

You watch the bubbles ascend and disappear into the clear, blue waters above. 

You feel strange admitting this, but you've come to accept Bill and have warmed up to him a good bit. He enjoys constantly teasing you, but you find him oddly likable. You also really admire his charming and outgoing personality. You've always wanted the courage to be open and confident with everyone you meet, and he seems to have that down pat. You hope he never detects this fondness you feel, because he's already bursting with enough pride for twenty people. 

 "Bill!" you shout for the second time. 

 When no reply is heard, you sigh and slowly amble across the ocean floor. You haven't a clue of where you're headed, but you always have a sense of which way to go in these imaginary worlds. If you didn't have these feelings, you would most likely be stuck like chuck, so you're thankful. 

 You're comfortable with traveling at the bottom of the ocean for the most part, until you remember one of your greatest fears- sharks. You find them to be very interesting creatures, though you would rather stay away from them as far as possible. 

 Your progress in this oceanic world is much slower than you would like. The pressure of the water against your body isn't as strong as it would be in real life, but it's enough to make you appear as if you're walking in slow motion. This worries you since this isn't the ideal speed for outrunning a sea creature. The worry slowly drains from your body, however, when you encounter thousands of colorful fish and a beautiful coral reef. 

 A bright smile is plastered to your face as you gaze in awe at the sparkling splendor around you. Schools of neon-purple fish zip by you while tiny, blue fish hide among the bright red coral. The atmosphere is incredibly relaxing, and you're truly enjoying the whole experience. 

 Before you know it, you've reached the end of the coral reef. Beyond this point is a vast and empty stretch of white sand. You make a move to turn back towards the lively reef, until you catch a glimpse of something dark in the distance. A cloud of sand wafts through the water ahead of you, making it difficult to see past it. Your eyes narrow with curiosity and you proceed to trudge through the billowing sand. 

 You soon regret making this decision. You've been walking in this haze for a good five minutes. You fear the thought of never finding a way out and decide to turn back around. Before you can go back the way you came, your foot lands on a loose edge. You feel the ground begin to crumble away and your body lean forward. You scream and quickly throw yourself backwards. You land on your back and frantically push your feet against the sand to scoot backwards. The water is clear closer to the ground, and this is when you see the dark object you saw earlier. 

 Your eyes are wide with dread as you gaze out upon a mile-wide trench. You exhale shakily and grab at your chest, your heart pounding loudly in your ears. The abyss is pitch-black, and the bottom isn't visible in the slightest. You begin to imagine all kinds of horrifying creatures that could be swimming around in its depths. You shudder and carefully stand to your feet.

 "Oh man," you back away, the cloud of sand slowly disappearing around you. "I could've fallen into that..." 

 "I know! That would've been greatly amusing!" a deep voice announces cheerfully. 

 "What?" you turn your back to the trench, your eyes scanning for the owner of the booming voice. "...Bill? Is that you?" 

The ocean water begins to push against your body in reply. The pressure is light at first, but grows rapidly in strength. You can't stay balanced on your feet for long and soon fall to your hands and knees, your eyes wide with fear. You feel as if you're about to be blown away, and right behind you is that unnerving trench. 

"This isn't funny! Please let me wake up!" you beg and desperately cling to the loose sand, your eyes squeezed tight. 

"But the party has just begun, [F/N]!" 

The water finally settles down at that. You breathe a sigh of relief and hesitantly lift your head to see no sign of Bill, as usual. You know good and well he caused that strange occurrence, but you can only hear his voice. 

"Wrong way, [F/N]!" he says. 

"Wrong way?" you repeat. 

You soon take a hint and scramble to your feet to face the deep crevice. You immediately squeak in surprise and almost stumble backwards over your own feet. An eye as large as a three-story house watches you from behind the trench's ledge. Your whole body shudders at the eerie sight. 

Bill belts his signature laugh and rises from the dark abyss, revealing the rest of his massive form. The water kicks up for a bit again, but returns to normal when he halts to a stop.  

"Well would you look at that lip!" he points to you with his huge finger. "It's so pouty I could dance on it!" 

You blush and suck your bottom lip into your mouth. You wouldn't look so pouty if he hadn't scared you half to death. Bill chuckles at your reaction and floats down to stand in front of you. You have to crane your neck to look him in the eye. He seems to grow bigger and bigger every time you see him. 

"Good afternoon, freckles! You seem to nap a lot, you know. What's up with that?" 

"I just like to take naps, is all." you reply, your neck already aching. 

"Are you sure it's not because you want to see me?" he says cheekily. 

You open your mouth to reply, but nothing is said. You honestly don't know how to reply to his question. You begin to panic at your own decisiveness, a worrisome thought rising to the surface. 

_I do enjoy his company._  

You swallow hard and avert your eyes, your shoulders shrugging lightly. First you admired his personality, and now you admit to enjoying his presence. You believe that thinking in this way must be abnormal, but this isn't a normal situation. This means, once again, that you don't know what to think. 

Bill disregards the silence as your usual shyness and places his hand flat on the ground, his palm facing upwards. You glance at his huge hand then back to him with a puzzled frown.

"What is it?" you question. 

He rolls his eye in annoyance and beckons with his fingers, "Climb on." 

Afraid of irritating him further, you don't ask any questions and gingerly make your way onto the palm of his hand. He then wraps his fingers around you and lifts you up to his eye-level. 

"Alright! Party at the underwater city!" he turns and points ahead, his eye beaming with excitement. 

"Whoa, really?" you smile widely now, also glowing with enthusiasm. 

"That's right!" he floats upwards and proceeds to fly over the trench. "This is one of your best worlds yet, [F/N]. I even made some Megalodon friends down in that trench!" 

Your jaw drops in horror. 

"Wha-what?!" you exclaim. 

The dream demon peers at you mischievously, a smirk in his voice, "Hm? Not a fan of giant sharks, little [F/N]?"  

Not being a fan is an understatement. Coming in contact with a Megalodon is your worst nightmare. You're certain that you didn't place those prehistoric creatures in your imaginative world, so Bill must've found out about your fear of them somehow. 

You try to brush off his question with a forced laugh. 

"Haha, nooo! I wouldn't say that I'm not a fan of them." you clear your throat and quickly change the subject. "Um, anyway, may I ask you a question?" 

"Well! What a good girl you are, eh? Asking for permission. I can respect that." he nods and focuses his eye on you. "Ask away!" 

"So," you begin softly, "I've been wondering why you always hide from me in these worlds... Why is that?"

"Hah! Really? You think I've been hiding from you?" he replies incredulously, "I don't hide from anyone! Now, let me ask  _you_  a question, [F/N]," he pauses, then brings you closer to his eye, "Why do you always want to find me?" 

_Crap. Got me again._

You rush to think up a decent excuse, your ears beginning to burn with embarrassment. You mentally curse yourself for asking dumb questions and look to see the dream demon still gazing at you. 

You don't get the chance to reply. 

The watery world around you suddenly fades to the gray version of your bedroom. Your eyes flit around the room in confusion then look to Bill expectantly. The dream demon seems just as puzzled as you, though. He catches your look for an explanation and narrows his brow.

"I didn't do this-" 

Your body jerks awake, a feeling of dread consuming the pit of your stomach. You then focus on a strange noise that meets your ears; the howl of wind. You sit up to investigate and immediately find the noisy culprit.

The wall to your left looks as if it had been vertically sliced through by a giant chainsaw. Inside the large tear is a bright red color with hazy swirls of yellow and green. 

"Wha..." your eyelids flutter in disbelief. 

Before you can even attempt to process the state of your room, Bill barrels out of the tear with a yelp. He lands flat on his back and skids across the wooden floor. You jump out of bed with a gasp and watch his movements in shock. 

"Dammit..." he mutters under his breath and quickly staggers to his feet. 

Right as he regains his balance, a second creature emerges from the rift; a hulking, human-like creature with blank, white eyes. It breathes heavily through it's lipless mouth, it's fangs dripping with saliva. 

You find yourself hyperventilating for the first time in your life. Your skin prickles with sweat and becomes deathly pale. You have never seen something so frightening in your life, and it truly disturbs you to the core. 

The creature bounds over to the dream demon and lifts it's boney fists into the air. With a vicious growl it swings downwards to deliver a crushing blow. Bill grabs it's wrists mid-air and twists. The sound of bone snapping in two fills the air. 

The monster shouts in pain and kicks with it's pointed foot. Bill doges the attack with a grunt and hops backwards. The creature uses this chance to shoot a blue orb from it's gaping mouth. Bill swiftly avoids the second attack, but the sphere takes an unexpected turn and follows him. 

The orb instantly enlarges to Bill's size and encases him inside, trapping him. 

"No! Dammit!" he shouts furiously. 

He throws several punches, but the orb's surface remains unbreakable. The massive creature huffs loudly and shoves the orb with it's shoulder, closer towards the rift. 

"Stop!" 

The monster stops and lifts it's head to see you blocking the rift. You're dripping with sweat and absolutely terrified, but you’re not going to just stand around and do nothing. 

"[F/N] are you crazy?!" Bill yells, "Move! He'll kill you, idiot!" 

"No!" you shake your head, tears stinging at your eyes, "This isn't right, Bill!" 

"Argh!" he throws up his hands in frustration, "I can take care of myself! Move!" 

The monster ignores the anxious banter and resumes pushing the orb forward. You flinch at it's sudden movement and try to remain strong. You grit your teeth tightly together, it's smell reaching your nostrils. It reminds you of pure death. 

The ghostly, white creature halts in front you, it's dead eyes boring into yours. Bill attempts to break the orb once again, while you remain paralyzed where you stand. A sob escapes your lungs, and tears stream down your face. 

The creature doesn't believe in mercy. 

The monster lifts it's heavy foot and kicks you hard in the stomach. You fall backwards with a gasp of pain, and disappear into the howling rift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to have Bill breaking some bones!


	6. Wrong is Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It's been a while. I have no excuses as to why it took so long for me to write this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

The stone floor is cold, wet, and the foul stench plaguing the air is toxic.   

You shiver uncontrollably in the corner of your cell, your clothing only a T-shirt and pajama shorts. You're trying to silence the chattering of your teeth, wanting to remain silent and invisible in the dark. You fear the attention of demonic creatures in the cell across from you. Even though they can't see you, you know they're still staring. You can see their glowing, red eyes peering past the cell bars. 

You don't know how much time has passed since you woke up in this prison, or how you arrived here. You can remember Bill being captured and a massive monster kicking you, but those are the only details you can recall. 

You want to move around to build up some warmth, but the slightest movement causes a searing pain to pulse through your stomach. You've never been in so much pain, and you're too frightened to look at your abdomen. You know it would look sickening. 

While you continue to cower in your corner, a loud noise halts the chattering of your teeth. You slowly lift your head, your eyes large with dread. 

_Please not me._

You quickly back up against the wall and hold your knees to your chest. You grunt through clenched teeth at the throbbing pain in your stomach and squeeze your eyes shut.

_Please not me!_

The heavy footsteps pound closer. You beg that they keep moving far away from you.  

You breathe in a ragged breath, the footsteps now in front of your cell. 

Silence. 

_No._  

A key is pushed into a lock and turned. You shake your head, your body trembling. 

_No!_

Your cell door is roughly jerked open. You flinch and hold your legs even tighter, a painful sob pushing its way out of your lungs. The footsteps stomp up to you and a scaly hand grabs you by the elbow. 

"Please no!" you shriek, finally looking a large, lizard creature in the eye. 

The lizard hisses sharply and begins to drag you out of the cell. You shout and almost fall to the ground, your stomach burning fiercely. The creature ignores your cries of pain and pulls you down a dark corridor. Monsters reach out of their cells to claw hungrily at you, the snap of their teeth loud in your ears. 

You close your eyes and attempt to ignore them, all the while trying your best to keep up with the lizard creature. You soon stub your toe on a raised stone and fall flat on your face. 

"Aargh!" you cry out and slam your fist against the cold floor. 

You just want to pass out from the serve pain, but you don't have a choice. You're hastily jerked to your feet again and dragged down another corridor. You're almost at your limit and ready to give up on standing, until you arrive at a wide, rusty door. 

The creature pulls the heavy door open, allowing a bright light to flood the corridor. You quickly turn your head away and shield your eyes at the sudden brightness. The lizard hisses menacingly and shoves you from behind. You stumble into the light with a yelp, your hands catching you before the ground does. The second fall sends yet another surging pain through your abdomen.

You grunt and slowly lower yourself to the ground. You don't care if you're lying in filth anymore. You're exhausted and don't know how much more you'll be able to take. You would love nothing more than to slip into a deep, peaceful sleep. 

"Don't fall asleep on me!" 

A strong hand grabs you by the collar and lifts you to your feet. You whimper and close your eyes, your limbs going limp. You'd crumble to the ground again if it weren't for two, cold hands holding you upright. 

"What? Not going to fight back, huh? Pathetic!" 

The owner of the demeaning voice drags you over to a chair and drops you on to it. You fall heavily with a groan and hesitantly open your eyes.

You distinguish a small room with stained, stone walls and a stone floor with patches of green moss. In front of you is a makeshift desk with stone slabs for its base and a metal sheet for it's top. Behind the desk, stands a tall, human-like creature. 

His dark, black hair is cut neat and short. His square jaw is clenched tight and his solid, white eyes cast a scornful gaze. His skin is a pale, grayish-blue, and his webbed ears are dotted with silver speckles. 

His clothing consists of a sleeveless, black shirt with a mock-neck and a pair of fitted pants of the same color. He reminds you of an aquatic creature straight out of a fairytale, though his clothing is human-like.

"Now to confirm my suspicion," he places his large hands on the desk and leans forward, his eyes narrowed sharply, "You're a human female, correct?" 

"...Yes," you croak. 

"Of course," he loudly slams his hand against the metal, making you jump, "Of course it would be a dirty human!" 

You look down at your trembling hands and swallow hard, your eyes blown wide. 

_Dear Lord. What have I gotten myself into?_

"And what's your relation to that yellow demon, huh?" he growls. 

Your head pops up, your brow furrowed with worry and your fear momentarily forgotten. 

"H-He's my friend!" you quickly soften your voice and lean closer, your anxious fingers groping the hem of your shirt, "Is he okay?" 

A look of disbelief flashes across the creature's face. He looks away and seems to ponder something for a moment, but a look of disgust soon fills his eyes. 

"Then you must know what he's done," he states frankly. 

"...What he's done?" you repeat quietly, your expression blank. 

He straightens up with a sigh and folds his hands behind his back. His milky eyes bore into yours with an intensity that prompts a chill up your spine. 

"If you're truly his friend," he walks around the desk to stand at your side, his voice low and gruff, "then you're just as evil as him." 

Speechless and more frightened than ever, the aquatic creature clicks a pair of rusty cuffs around your wrists and personally escorts you out of the room. 

"Let's visit a friend of mine, shall we?" he chimes sarcastically, "I think that would be entertaining." 

"Wait!" you shout and try to pull your arm from his firm grasp, "Please let me explain! We've done nothing wrong!" 

No matter how much you beg, he ignores your desperate protests and leads you down the darkest corridor you've seen yet. Your bare feet splash through puddles of freezing water and the pain in your abdomen only grows stronger. 

You pant heavily and peek around your captor's body to see the faint outline of a door with large bolts. You whimper at the ominous sight ahead and let your eyes fall in defeat. 

_I wish I had never moved to Gravity Falls._

The creature stops in front of the door and glances at you from over his shoulder. Your head is hung low and your watery gaze remains fixed to the stone floor. He scoffs at your pitiful form and unlocks the door with an irritated sigh. 

"My job would be a lot easier if weak creatures like you didn't turn to demons like him." 

You feel a pang in your chest at that. You can't stand to hear him talk that way about Bill. How can he call someone who is so friendly "evil"? 

The feeling of being jerked forward brings you back to your horrible reality. 

You're lead inside a dimly-lit room by the chain of your cuffs. Your eyes immediately dart away from the scowls of two lizard creatures. They're stiffly guarding a second door and appear to be saluting your escort. Their supposed leader gives them a nod and pulls you closer to his side. The large lizards nod back and proceed to open the second door. 

The door scrapes loudly against the floor, revealing more darkness and the thick bars of a cell. You quickly look to the aquatic creature at your side with a worried frown. 

"You're not putting me in there, are you?" you ask frantically, "I swear I'm completely harmless! Why must I be guarded so heavily?" 

The creature throws you a sideways glance and pushes you toward the open doorway. 

"This cell isn't heavily guarded for you," he states quietly. 

Your eyes become wide with realization.  

_Then who...?_

A guard grabs you by the arm and drags you through the doorway. You scream and kick as hard as you possibly can, but to no avail. You're shoved and locked inside a cell of never ending darkness. 

This time, however, you're not alone. 

You remain frozen where you stand. The only thing that can be heard is an unnerving silence. You grab at your chest and try to refrain from breathing heavily, afraid that you may alert your mysterious cell mate. 

Unfortunately, remaining unknown is becoming increasingly difficult. Your abdomen is still burning profusely, which in turn is making you feel incredibly nauseous. You try not to dry-heave while you slowly feel your way around for a corner to huddle in. 

Just as you begin to take your last step, a strange, prickling sensation washes over your body. A blaring light fills your vision and a soothing warmth caresses your skin. The suddenly peaceful ambiance overwhelms you and drives you to your knees. 

"Freckles!" 

You warily lift your head at the familiar voice to see Bill staring down at you. His one eye narrows happily when your gaze meets his. 

"I knew my senses were right!" he exclaims, "And it's not nauseating at all this time! I have to say it was quite refreshing to feel a sweet, little creature like you close by." 

You stare at him blankly, wondering if the dream demon is truly standing in front of you. 

"...Are you real?" you ask. 

"Nope! I'm only an illusion because you're going completely insane!" he reaches out and repeatedly pokes the tip of your nose, "Beep beep! Haha! Just kidding!" 

You scrunch up your nose with a frown. You're still unconvinced, so you also reach out and poke at his center. He feels cold and smooth to the touch, and a slight tingle runs up the length of your finger. 

"Hey now!" he steps back and pushes your hand away, "What are you? Some pervert?" 

Yup, this is real. 

You let out a giggle, even though you knew it would be painful. You softly hiss in pain but manage to keep a small grin on your face.

"Bill, I can't believe it's you! I-" 

A violent coughing fit interrupts you. You cover your mouth and cringe, a wet substance splattering against the palm of your hand. You take in a deep breath and look to your palm once it finally ends. 

When you continue to stare at your palm in silence, Bill gives you a quizzical look and grabs your hand. 

"...Blood," he states simply. 

He looks to you again to see tears streaming down your distraught expression. He furrows his brow and slowly drops your hand. 

He finds this situation extremely odd, since the pain of someone else is usually hilarious to him. Right now, he isn't in much of a laughing mood. 

"...Well, I guess this means you're dying, huh. From that kick to your stomach," he says. 

The chain between your cuffs jingle lightly as you cover your swollen, red eyes. You sniffle loudly and carefully lay on your side, a hard sob escaping your lungs. 

"I don't want to die!" you cry angrily, "I don't want to die in this hell hole! This just has to be some sick joke!" 

Bill watches you advance from angry sobbing to depressed weeping. Your prolonged sniveling seems very unnecessary, since he could easily heal you. He has mixed feelings about this, though. If he healed you, wouldn't that go against everything he stands for? Just thinking about performing the action feels wrong to him, but if it's wrong, shouldn't it be right for him? 

"...Whatever!" he kneels at your side and lightly grabs the hem of your shirt, "I'm going to do what I want." 

He carefully lifts the shirt to reveal your stomach. A deep, purple bruise in the shape of an oval covers almost the entirety of your abdomen. 

"Um, what are you doing?" 

He looks up to see your tired eyes staring at him in shock. He quickly covers your eyes with his hand. 

"Don't look! I don't want to hear your irritating bawling again." 

Your body stiffens at his tone, a nervous frown crossing your face. 

"O-Ok, sorry, but why are you lifting my shirt?" 

"I'm-" he pauses, not liking the thought of the word "help" in his vocabulary, "...I'm just going to do what I want, okay?! I'm going to heal you so you won't die. Simple as that." 

Your mouth slowly drops open, tears of joy now pricking at your eyes. You want to say thank you, but when you go to do just that, only a soft sob is heard. The relief you feel is overwhelming, and you can't help but only cry. 

"Ugh, why are you crying again?" Bill sighs and removes your handcuffs with the snap of his fingers, "You're a strange creature, [F/N]." 

Now that the rusty handcuffs are long gone, you hesitantly place your hand on the one covering your eyes. 

"Thank you, Bill," you whisper softly. 

The dream demon immediately jerks his hand away, his eye large with genuine surprise. 

"Hey! What did I say about touching me?!" he exclaims, his eye darting to his desecrated hand, "What are you trying to accomplish, huh?" 

"Nuh-Nothing, nothing at all," you cover your eyes with both hands, your cheeks growing red with embarrassment, "It's just... Your hand felt comforting, is all," you admit shyly. 

Bill gives you a hard stare, his one eye narrowed slightly. He watches as you bite your bottom lip, then slowly part your fingers to peek at him. 

"And.. And you touched me first, Bill," you continue carefully, "It's a little unfair-"  

A strong, burning sensation racks your stomach. You let out a frightened cry of pain, but the burn disappears just as quickly as it came. Not only does the sensation fade, any pain that occupied your abdomen beforehand also vanishes. 

"Ouch!" you whimper, "What the heck was that?" 

"That was me healing you, you dummy," Bill states flatly. 

You sit up now and notice that your stomach appears as if nothing ever touched it. You breathe a deep sigh of relief and smile brightly towards the dream demon, being careful not to cry again. 

"I'm really not going to die? My stomach is really okay now?" 

"What? You're not doubting my powers, are you?" he questions playfully. 

"No! Of course not!" you quickly shake your head, taking his question seriously, "I'm extremely grateful to you, Bill. I would've died without you, so... Thank you." 

"Hmmm," Bill hums, a pleased spark in his eye, "You would've died without me, huh.. That has a nice ring to it." 

"...What?" you reply blankly. 

"Anyway!" he floats into the air and rests his hands on his hips, "I'm sure you're wondering as to why I can't just use my impressive powers to escape this prison, correct?" 

"Uhm," you gaze up at him, a look of fatigue on your face, "I actually haven't even thought that far ahead yet..." 

"Ah, yes, of course! I sometimes forget the fact that I'm constantly a billion light-years ahead of everyone. It's alright, though! As your almighty life source, I'll explain the situation in the clearest terms possible." 

You rub at your heavy eyelids with a furrowed brow, his words becoming more and more difficult to follow. Now that your severe pain has diminished, you're feeling extremely light-headed and drowsy. Even so, you still manage to catch that, "As your almighty life source," line. You feel as if you should question that, but you let it slide this time. 

"Alright, go ahead," you reply slowly. 

"Now listen carefully so your limited brain can comprehend!"

"...Okay." 

"Good! So," he begins, "I'm one of the oldest and most powerful begins that has ever graced your presence. However, many powerful creatures can, say, encounter a bump along the way. This almost insignificant bump, for me, is a strong magnetism that can confine creatures like me." 

_Oh boy, how could I possibly forget that he likes to talk almost nonstop._

"The dimwits that captured us," he continues, "somehow got their lowly, filthy claws on this magnetism, which is now constraining me to this inappreciable cell. However, the fools can't force the magnetism to last much longer. They're inexperienced, incapable, and, well, stupid! They know this, I know this, and they know that I know this. Which means they're rushing about in a panic to figure out how to keep the magnetism intact! It's pretty hilarious, you see!" 

Bill cackles loudly, his body aglow with delight. You sigh at the sight and smile softly; it almost seems impossible to be depressed around him. You take this opportunity to rest your eyes for a moment, his laughter still clear in your ears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrong is always right for Bill! Also, thank you so much for the sweet feedback! I truly enjoy reading your thoughts.


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